Following a recent award-winning publicity campaign ‘Connect to Your Council’ we can reveal local authority websites such as the Isle of Wight Council attract nearly as many hits as major retailer Tesco.com.

The ‘Connect to your Council’ campaign was launched in May 2006 and runs until March 2008.  People visiting the Campaign *website can just enter a post code, town or street name, to be directed to the relevant service page of their council’s website.

Isle of Wight residents can now access a wide range of council services online, from finding information on rubbish collection, to applying for school places, or paying bills.

Isle of Wight residents can now access a wide range of council services online, from finding information on rubbish collection, to applying for school places, or paying bills.

Research published by the Central Office of Information reveals that in-person visits to council offices have dropped by a quarter since the beginning of the advertising. In the same period, telephone queries are down by 16% and letters by 15%.

Parmjit Dhanda, Minister for Local E-Government said:

“It is clear that residents welcome the chance to put themselves in charge of how, when and where they access their local council services. Our independent survey shows that, in a dramatically growing market, local authority websites are maintaining a consistent share of traffic.

This is a marked achievement that confirms the potential of local e-government for delivering an efficient and responsive service culture that is centred on the needs of customers.”

National advertising activity for the ‘Connect to your Council’ Campaign was carried out between May-July 2006, with additional bursts of advertising activity taking place in Sept-Oct 2006 and June-July 2007. The Campaign is scheduled to run up to March 2008.

*Click HERE:

Isle of Wight Community Information @Island Pulse.